A chilling new threat has emerged on the streets of London, a drug so potent it’s quietly claiming lives and leaving a trail of fear among those who work with the city’s most vulnerable. It’s called cychlorphine, and it’s estimated to be 200 times stronger than heroin.
Each morning, Elodie Berland and Jon Glackin of Streets Kitchen venture into Keir Starmer’s constituency, offering a lifeline of hot drinks and food to those living on the streets. They’ve witnessed hardship, but lately, a new dread has settled over their work. The question isn’t *if* they’ll hear of another overdose, but *who* will be lost next.
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed at least three deaths in Camden within a single month – a man in his 50s, a woman in her 40s, and another man in his 40s. But authorities believe the true number of cychlorphine-related fatalities is significantly higher, potentially reaching thirteen across London in the last year.
What makes cychlorphine particularly terrifying is its insidious nature. It isn’t being sought out; it’s being added to other drugs – heroin, counterfeit pharmaceuticals, even cocaine – and unsuspecting users are unknowingly consuming a potentially lethal dose. The drug originates from labs, likely in India or China, where quality control is nonexistent and dangerous cross-contamination is rampant.
The substance appears as a white powder, easily mixed into existing supplies, making detection incredibly difficult. Vicki Markiewicz, executive director at Change Grow Live, explains that buyers have no idea they’re purchasing it. Instances have even surfaced where cychlorphine has been found in party drugs, extending the risk far beyond traditional drug users.
The chemical structure of cychlorphine is a slight alteration of previously banned synthetic opioids. Following the Taliban’s ban on opioid production in Afghanistan, drug gangs are scrambling for alternatives to maintain supply, and cychlorphine has become a frightening solution. These gangs are subtly modifying the chemical compound to circumvent existing regulations.
Adding to the danger, cychlorphine is virtually undetectable by sniffer dogs, as it’s odorless. This makes it remarkably easy to smuggle into the UK, slipping past border controls unnoticed. The drug’s presence is so recent that standard postmortem tests often fail to identify it, leading to misattributed deaths and a tragically incomplete understanding of the scale of the crisis.
Coroners and hospitals are often unaware of the threat, routinely attributing overdoses to heroin instead of investigating the possibility of synthetic opioid involvement. Even after death, the drug may break down, further obscuring its presence in toxicology reports. The full extent of the danger remains shrouded in uncertainty.
Recent police action has resulted in the arrest and charging of eleven individuals in Camden, accused of conspiring to supply Class A drugs linked to cychlorphine. The raids uncovered significant quantities of drugs, over £31,000 in cash and gold, and even a sawn-off shotgun, highlighting the organized criminal activity fueling this crisis.
Elodie and Jon continue their work, tirelessly providing support and spreading awareness. They lament the delayed sharing of information about cychlorphine, believing it has cost lives. Camden, with its high rates of addiction and homelessness, is seen as a vulnerable “testing ground” for new and dangerous substances.
The message is stark: anyone can unknowingly consume cychlorphine. It’s readily available, even through casual channels like Snapchat, blurring the lines between recreational drug use and potentially fatal exposure. Experts urge individuals to carry naloxone, a life-saving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses, as a crucial preventative measure.
